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| Philip Larkin handwritten poem up for auction | Philip Larkin handwritten poem up for auction |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A handwritten poem that Philip Larkin forgot he had written is expected to sell at auction for more than £3,000. | A handwritten poem that Philip Larkin forgot he had written is expected to sell at auction for more than £3,000. |
| Love was written in December 1962, while Larkin was a librarian at Hull University, and was published in the journal Critical Quarterly in 1966. | Love was written in December 1962, while Larkin was a librarian at Hull University, and was published in the journal Critical Quarterly in 1966. |
| The auctioneers, Bonhams, said it was the first time a handwritten poem by Larkin had come to auction. | The auctioneers, Bonhams, said it was the first time a handwritten poem by Larkin had come to auction. |
| The manuscript is part of an extensive collection built up by collector Roy Davids, over 40 years. | The manuscript is part of an extensive collection built up by collector Roy Davids, over 40 years. |
| Bonhams said a letter Larkin wrote in 1969 to Brian Cox, the co-founder of Critical Quarterly, showed he had forgotten about the work. | Bonhams said a letter Larkin wrote in 1969 to Brian Cox, the co-founder of Critical Quarterly, showed he had forgotten about the work. |
| "A publisher wrote recently to ask if he could reprint a poem Love from Critical Quarterly: I had forgotten writing such a poem, much less publishing it. I thought it rather good...," he wrote. | "A publisher wrote recently to ask if he could reprint a poem Love from Critical Quarterly: I had forgotten writing such a poem, much less publishing it. I thought it rather good...," he wrote. |
| Bonhams estimates the manuscript will sell for between £3,000 and £4,000. | Bonhams estimates the manuscript will sell for between £3,000 and £4,000. |
| The poem's first stanza reads: "The difficult part of love / Is being selfish enough / Is having the blind persistence / To upset an existence / Just for your own sake / What cheek it must take." | The poem's first stanza reads: "The difficult part of love / Is being selfish enough / Is having the blind persistence / To upset an existence / Just for your own sake / What cheek it must take." |
| 'Magical significance' | 'Magical significance' |
| James Booth, literary adviser to the Philip Larkin Society, said: "I suspect it will go for that price as it is rare. He was careful about spreading his signature around. | |
| "This is very unusual, he didn't tear out pages, or if he did he kept them. He was very careful of his literary manuscripts." | "This is very unusual, he didn't tear out pages, or if he did he kept them. He was very careful of his literary manuscripts." |
| Prof Booth added that though the manuscript was not biographically significant, it did have "magical significance" simply for being in the poet's handwriting. | |
| Larkin found fame in 1955 after publishing his collection The Less Deceived and went on to become one of the foremost figures in 20th Century poetry. | Larkin found fame in 1955 after publishing his collection The Less Deceived and went on to become one of the foremost figures in 20th Century poetry. |
| Three portraits of Larkin by Mark Gerson and Christopher Barker are also in the sale. | Three portraits of Larkin by Mark Gerson and Christopher Barker are also in the sale. |
| The auction at Bonhams in London begins at 13:00 BST. | The auction at Bonhams in London begins at 13:00 BST. |